Nice Guys Don't Always Finish Last
by leavesfallingup
Summary: When Tsuruga Ren suddenly pushes Kyoko away, she can't understand the feelings that are overwhelming her. What will happen when Ishibashi Hikaru steps in and lends her a shoulder to cry on? Ren&Kyoko, Hikaru&Kyoko.
1. Chapter 1

**Nice Guys Don't Always Finish Last**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or much of anything else, so please send money.

**The Hikaru Challenge: **_12/31/10 Message from Fangurl Ayane and Jhiz: The gauntlet has been thrown at the feet of all __skip beat__fan fiction writers__... Do you dare to accept the challenge?__Alternative reality__ fictions will not count as part of the challenge (in other words, no removing Ren or Sho from the universe to make it work)._

In five chapters or less, write a story that keeps true to the character's personalities (which means having a rational reason for personal growth) and allows Mogami Kyoko to not only see Ishibashi Hikaru as a potential suitor but also acknowledge him as a forerunner for her heart (in other words, establish that he has a portion of her heart reserved for him that says 'boyfriend' not senpai, co-star or even best guy friend).

**Summary: **When Tsuruga Ren suddenly pushes Kyoko away, she can't understand the feelings that are overwhelming her. What will happen when Ishibashi Hikaru steps in and lends her a shoulder to cry on? Ren&Kyoko, Hikaru&Kyoko. Based upon chapter 168 as the starting point.

**Chapter 1 – Ruffled Feathers and Broken Wings**

Kyoko sat in Bo's dressing room surrounded in a deep cloud of gloom. She sat in the chicken suit, holding the famous head so that it was facing her. If anyone were observing Kyoko, she would look like Reinholdt's famous sculpture of a monkey holding a human skull. The difference was that Kyoko wasn't studying Bo's head… in fact, she wasn't studying anything. Instead, Kyoko was drowning in a sea of conflicting emotions that she couldn't understand.

It had begun two weeks before, on the night when Tsuruga Ren had phoned her and asked her to come to his apartment and help him make Maui Rice. In retrospect, the meal had been a humorous disaster that revealed a side of her illustrious sempai that Kyoko had never understood before. He had insisted on cooking the meal himself, and the result was all but inedible. Despite this fact, he had insisted on eating every bite. Because of his determination, Kyoko had joined him and had met him forkful for forkful. She had understood then, without clearly understanding, that it wasn't about the food: Tsuruga Ren was fighting some inner demon, just as Kyoko had been for the last two years.

_I think Tsuruga-san and I may not be that different after all._ The thought had been a startling one. It had come unbidden and it had made Kyoko view the man through open eyes, without the benefit of her usual rose-colored glasses. Her great sempai, the man who she esteemed as Japan's greatest actor, was broken, and vulnerable, and… and in need of a friend.

Something changed in Kyoko on that night. Prior to this she had almost always taken a self-effacing approach towards Tsuruga Ren. True, she had overstepped certain bounds by regularly confronting him about his poor eating habits, but in every other way she had place him on a pedestal with her as his unworthy supplicant. Now that she understood his vulnerability and loneliness, she unwittingly took on a superior approach: Tsuruga Ren was a man who needed someone to care for him, to support him, to be there for him. Kyoko, with her kind, giving heart, could willingly take on such a role for the man who had done so much for her.

She could do this willingly, without the fear of playing in that other dangerous realm… the realm of feelings that she had foresworn for eternity. After all, taking care of a friend was different then… that _other_ taboo emotion… right?

She had stayed there on that night, sleeping in the guest room, smiling tenderly as she wished Tsuruga Ren a good night. She had gone to sleep smiling to herself with the pleasant afterglow of knowing that, in some small way, she had been there for her sempai. Her dreams, though she couldn't quite recall them had been… well… somehow exceedingly pleasant.

Which is why she felt so confused on the following morning, when Tsuruga Ren had acted so distant with her. Kyoko had awoken cheerfully, moving lightly on her feet as she flitted from the guest room to the shower and from the shower to the kitchen. With her usual cooking dexterity, she had quickly crafted a meal that would suit a man with a case of indigestion. She was certain that Tsuruga-san would need such a breakfast because she was also feeling the negative effects of last night's gruesome feast. When the tall actor had stumbled out of his room, he had merely looked at her with bleary eyes, and then proceeded to the bathroom.

It was only when he emerged, showered and shaved, that Kyoko began to suspect that something was amiss. To begin with, he wouldn't meet her eyes. In the past it had always been her who had avoided him after certain embarrassing moments, such as when he had kissed her on the cheek to thank her for his Valentine's Day gift. Tsuruga Ren had always been straightforward, sometimes uncomfortably so. But this was different. Now he wasn't talking, he wasn't meeting her eyes, and worst of all, he was barely responding in any way. After the euphoria of shared understanding from the night before, this was baffling to Kyoko… and it also hurt her in a way that she couldn't fully understand.

Things had gone from bad to worse. When he dropped her off at the Daruma-ya he had not waited for her, as he normally would have. Instead he muttered some excuse and drove away. Later that day, when she joined him on the set of _Dark Moon_, he had kept his distance. He did not offer to share lunch with her. He did not offer any compliments or advice on her acting that day. Most of all, he did not offer to pick her up on the following day, as he almost always did when they would start at the same place in the morning.

As the week wore on, Kyoko began to feel more and more distressed, and more and more hurt. Something inside of her chest ached so painfully that she found herself dissolving into tears at odd and unwelcome moments. When Tsuruga Ren had departed for two weeks of filming in Singapore, it had almost been a relief… almost.

Now Kyoko sat in the dressing room, contemplating nothing except for the vague idea that something important, something vital to her very existence, had gone out of her world. How long she sat there, she would never know. She was unaware of the movements and noises surrounding a busy studio, and she was equally unaware of the gradual diminishing of those movements and noises. What did it matter, anyway?

* * *

Ishibashi Hikaru said goodbye to his brothers and walked toward his beat up, second-hand Suzuki Swift. He scowled at the thing for a minute before unlocking the door and climbing in. _I won't ever impress Kyoko with a beat-up old hatchback like this. Not that Kyoko's the type of girl who would be won over by a fancy car anyway… Oh, who am I fooling? Nothing I do will ever make an impression on her._

Hikaru buckled his seat belt and sat there, unmoving, as images of the amazingly cute, and occasionally sultry golden-eyed girl ran through his head. From almost the first day he had met her, he had been captivated. She was so different from any other girl he had ever encountered. Her erect and graceful posture, her unfeigned politeness, her total unconcern for status, and her total dedication to any task she performed had all made an impression on him… of course it didn't hurt that he wanted to melt every time those honey-golden eyes met his.

Hikaru sighed and reached forward to insert his key into the ignition, and then he paused. There, across from his reserved slot in the covered parking lot, was a bicycle. _That's Kyoko's bicycle, isn't it? Why would it still be here? It's been almost two hours since the show ended._ His mind furnished the answer despite the fact that he didn't want to think about it: _Tsuruga Ren must have given her a ride again._

He felt a pang, perhaps more than a pang of jealousy as he contemplated that thought. _What exactly is their relationship?_ He had slipped up and asked one day, after Kyoko turned down his offer for dinner for the one-hundred and third time. She had excused herself on the previous night by saying that her _sempai_ would be waiting in the parking lot. When Hikaru had gone to his car he had seen Tsuruga Ren standing, leaning against his fancy sports car… and he had seen the tall and ridiculously handsome man open the passenger door for Mogami Kyoko. When Hikaru had asked about their relationship on the following day, Kyoko had merely replied, "Tsuruga-san is my senior at LME, and he helps me to avoid foolish mistakes and to become a better actress." Hikaru hoped that that was where the relationship ended… except that Japan's Most Desirable Man (Hikaru didn't even want to explore where he ranked on that list) seemed to be around girl entirely too much for Hikaru's comfort.

Grumbling to himself, Hikaru turned the key and slammed the gearshift into first. The tires squeeled on the polished concrete as he slammed on the gas and flew out of his parking slot. In seconds he was at the exit, when he suddenly slammed on the brakes and slid to a stop. _What if Kyoko is still here? Could there be something wrong?_ Feeling foolish, but unable to shake the thought, Hikaru slid the gearshift into reverse and drove back until he could maneuver back into his spot. Sighing, he turned the car off and climbed out. Muttering the whole time, he unlocked the studio doors and walked down the corridor, scanning for any evidence of another live person. Finally he reached the door of Kyoko's dressing room, raised his hand, and knocked. When there was no reply he almost turned to go, but then his hand slid down to the knob and turned.

Hikaru knew that something was up when he opened the door and found the room lit. Mogami Kyoko was the quintessential conservationist. She did not believe in spending money frivolously and she was conscientious about certain issues, such as recycling and conserving energy. If the lights were still on in her changing room that could only mean one thing: Kyoko was in the building. A quick scan revealed an orangish head of hair peaking out of a bulky chicken suit. "Kyoko-san?"

There was no response, so Hikaru walked around until he could face her. He was stunned to see that her eyes were clouded, as if she had withdrawn completely into herself. "Kyoko-chan? Is everything all right?"

Hikaru thought about the show for a moment, searching for any clue as to why Kyoko was in this condition. _No, she was just as energetic and lively as usual… but then, she's so professional that she will never allow her personal issues to interfere with her work._ He studied her for a moment… which led into several minutes. Except for her lifeless eyes she was just as beautiful as always to him. Her angular, pixie face, her odd hair color, her cute little nose, those plump little lips… Hikaru shook himself, feeling guilty for taking advantage of Kyoko's distress to gaze at her. Tentatively, and then firmly, he shook her shoulder as he called out again, "Kyoko-san. Mogami Kyoko-san!"

As if coming out of a trance, Kyoko blinked and then looked up at Hikaru with those big, sad eyes. "Kyoko-san, is everything all right? You were off in some other world."

"Oh! Excuse me Hikaru-san," Kyoko exclaimed, carefully placing Bo's head on the bench beside her, "I must have dozed off for a minute."

"A minute? Kyoko-san, it's been over two hours since the show was over. Are you sure that you're all right?"

"Oh, yes, of course. Please don't concern yourself. I just need to change out of this suit and…" Unwittingly, Kyoko began the process of removing the lower half of her suit. Hikaru blushed and hastily excused himself, escaping out of the door before he witnessed anything that he shouldn't… and then he paused. _The Kyoko I know would never have started undressing in front of me. Something is definitely wrong._

And that is when Ishibashi Hikaru finally changed his tactics. He was no longer going to ask Kyoko to go dinner in his usual namby-pamby way. He walked back out into the parking garage with a determined expression on his face. Tonight Kyoko was going to go out for coffee with him… for her own good, of course.

Kyoko finished changing, carefully placed the chicken suit into the rolling cart provided for it, and wheeled it down to storage. Then she performed her usual inspection of each room to ensure that all lights were off before heading to the parking garage to retrieve her bicycle. But when she opened the door to the underground parking, she was startled to find Hikaru leaning against his car… with her bicycle safely lodged into place in the hatchback of his little car. Hikaru smiled at her with a look she had never seen on his face before. He pushed his body off of the car while opening the passenger-side door. "Get in, Kyoko. I'm taking you out for coffee, and then I'll drive you home."

She didn't quite understand the self-satisfied smile on the young pop-idol's face as he drove out of the parking lot with her firmly buckled into his passenger seat.

* * *

**Notes:** Fangurl Ayane and Jhiz originally issued this challenge, and I would like to join in and encourage other fanfiction writers to give it a shot. I think that challenges like this help to stretch writers to try new ideas and to explore other imaginative approaches. I look forward to seeing what everyone does with this challenge.


	2. Chapter 2

**Nice Guys Don't Always Finish Last**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or much of anything else, so please send money.

**Summary: **Ishibashi Hikaru seeks to find a way to snap Kyoko out of her depression. In the process he finally gets the date with Kyoko that he always wanted… and then some.

**Chapter 2 – New and Improved**

Okay, so maybe the coffee shop was a bad idea? And then again…

Ishibashi Hikaru had spent two years during his early teens living in the United States. His father had dragged him and his brothers to the rainy city of Seattle while he established a branch office there. For Hikaru, it had been both a good and bad experience which, in retrospect, he was glad that he had. The residue of that experience, and the three brother's exposure to so many different cultures and ideas, was what gave them the courage to pursue musical careers* in Japan upon their return.

There was another residual effect, on Hikaru in particular: A love of Starbucks Coffee. His brothers had still been pre-teens and they never did develop that particular obsession. It was different for Hikaru. He loved the coffee, loved the atmosphere, and loved to spend the occasional evening sitting in the outdoor dining area watching the crowds go by. It was only natural, therefore, that he should choose to take Kyoko to his favorite coffee shop, just two blocks down from TBM Studios. What Hikaru hadn't counted on was Kyoko's rising popularity, particularly with the young, college-aged crowd that also frequented this particular coffee shop.

To be fair, on most occasions the students might have overlooked Kyoko, just as they overlooked Hikaru even though he was the lead man in one of the most popular evening variety shows in Japan. Kyoko looked so completely different with each character that she created that Japan still didn't have a handle on who the real Kyokou (stage-spelling) was. Unfortunately, on this particular evening, Kyoko was surrounded by the cloud of gloom that traditionally characterized Hongo Mio… and that was enough for the customers to key in on the young starlet.

As a result, Hikaru was once again denied the alone-time with his enticing kohai which he so craved… but he didn't begrudge it… at least he tried not to… because after Kyoko spent half an hour signing autographs and posing for pictures with the enthralled college kids, she snapped out of her depression. Truthfully, she was embarrassed that these students, who were actually her seniors, although they acted like she was far above them, made such a big deal about meeting her. The girls were thrilled and wanted to ask a thousand questions. The boys were more than a little interested in her as a female, which made her feel uncomfortable. Had anyone been disrespectful, it might have been a bad experience. Instead the group was unfailingly polite, and by the time Hikaru succeeded in dragging her away, she had returned to her normal self.

"I'm sorry for all of the fuss, Hikaru-sempai. I know that you wanted a quiet evening to enjoy your coffee." If Kyoko could have performed a dogeeza while strapped into the passenger seat of Hikaru's Subaru Swift, she would have.

"Don't worry about it, Kyoko-san. At least I got to finish my coffee. Did you ever even take a sip of yours?" At the moment, Hikaru was having trouble driving as she looked at him with that pleading, apologetic expression in her beautiful eyes. It made him want to comfort her, to stroke her hair or something… a horn honked and he quickly corrected his position on the road. "Sorry about that… I must be getting sleepy."

It was the wrong thing to say. Kyoko immediately launched into a new round of apologies for keeping him out so late. Despite his reassurances, she was still apologizing when they arrived at the Daruma-ya. Hikaru switched off the car and helped Kyoko to extract her bicycle from the rear. He was warmed all over by the momentary contact of her hand on his while wresting the pedal over the seat, but she didn't seem to notice. It was only when Kyoko bowed and expressed her thanks one final time that Hikaru finally spoke up.

"Kyoko-san, what does your schedule tomorrow look like?"

"Oh, just the usual round of LoveMe work. I don't have any filming tomorrow. Why, does Bridge Rock need me to do a job?"

"No… I need you. I want you to clear your schedule tomorrow and take a day off. I'll pick you up here at 9 a.m." Hikaru tried to sound firm without sounding demanding, but in his own mind he thought his voice was squeaking like a teen undergoing a voice-change.

Kyoko looked at him in confusion. She hadn't quite made the connection that this task wasn't work-related. "Will I be doing heavy work, or paperwork, or will I be wearing the Bo suit?"

Hikaru, in a moment of clarity, picked up on Kyoko's confusion and chose to take advantage of it… for her own good, of course, "No… ah-hmmm… wear something nice, like a sun-dress, something cheerful… and make sure that you wear comfortable shoes. We'll be doing a lot of walking." He turned to go but stopped and wheeled around, "Oh, and you might want to bring along a nice hat and sunglasses… you are becoming more famous, which makes it more likely that you'll be recognized again."

Kyoko, still slightly confused, simply bowed her thanks once again and walked her bicycle to its resting spot beside the Daruma-ya family car. She was tired, very tired; and yet the events of the last hour had helped to alleviate some of the gloom that had been her constant companion for the past two weeks.

Hikaru drove away from the restaurant amazed at his own boldness and proud of the result. _This is it, Mogami Kyoko. I'm going to show you a new and improved Hikaru; one who doesn't take no for an answer. One who knows what he wants and goes after it… and you are what I want, Kyoko-chan._ Unfortunately, the further he drove the more he remembered his own audacity. _What will she think when she finds out that this isn't a LoveMe task after all? _He finished the drive home with a sick little knot forming in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

Kyoko woke in the morning feeling slightly better. She had dreamed her usual dreams about her tall sempai; dreams that she could never remember but which always left her feeling lonesome and abandoned. On this morning, however, she at least had the promise of something different, some new task, to distract her. Following Hikaru's instructions she chose one of her favorite sun dresses, a yellow dress with spaghetti straps on her shoulders, a brocaded center going down the bodice, and a band of assorted flowers six inches thick printed around the bottom of the skirt. The skirt stopped above her knees, showing off her shapely slender calves. On her feet she wore matching set of cute but comfortable flats. As he had also instructed, she put on a large, stylish straw sun hat. She brought along a pair of sunglasses which she could throw on as necessary.

This particular outfit was easy to choose and no trouble to match: it was an outfit from a commercial she had only recently filmed, but that hadn't yet been released. The fashion consultant had gushed in a manner that embarrassed Kyoko, telling her that she was the "perfect model" for his fashions. Though Kyoko hadn't been able to believe him, she had accepted the outfit as a retainer on the promise that she would model more of his fashions for another upcoming commercial and for a catalogue spread. She had drawn the line when he started speaking of runway modeling. Despite his flattering remarks, she knew that she was too plain to take on that type of work… of course she didn't mention that in her weekly phone conversation with Hizuri Kuu… Otou-san might have scolded her. Still, she was glad of the outfit now, and hoped that Hikaru would feel it appropriate.

With her usual promptitude, Kyoko stepped out of the Daruma-ya five minutes before 9 a.m., to find Hikaru already waiting for her. He was dressed simply but stylishly, with light tan slacks and a dark brown, almost black, un-tucked, button-down, open-collared dress shirt. He was also wearing leather dress-boots whose heels afforded him an extra inch. He had taken extra care with his hair that morning and Kyoko though that he looked… well, rather handsome.

Kyoko moved lightly and gracefully down the entrance ramp and along the path to Hikaru's car. The sundress had extra cloth in the skirt, so the material swished with the movement of her legs like a bell. "Good morning Hikaru-sempai. I hope that this will work? You never specified what the task was last night."

Hikaru struggled to gulp down the lump in his throat as he took in Kyoko's outfit, "Y-ye-ah." His affirmation came out more like a bleat, so he tried again, "You look… beautiful, Kyoko." His words came out softly, but with such conviction that Kyoko found herself blushing clear down to her bare shoulders and upper chest. Her first instinct was to refute his statement, but the truth in his eyes made her bite back her response.

"Well, you look rather handsome yourself, Hikaru-sempai." She had to admit that he did look handsome, not in the rakish manner of… her enemy, nor in the overwhelming, heart-palpitating manner of Tsur… she decided not to dwell on that thought right then. She was having a nice morning and she wanted it to remain that way. "So, what am I doing today?"

Hikaru felt inordinately pleased by Kyoko's compliment, and it gave him the jolt he needed to resume his earlier more "manly" manner. "Hop in, Kyoko-san. It's a surprise, but I promise that it will be worth it."

Kyoko shrugged her slender, toned shoulders and climbed in, while Hikaru tried not to stare. She was stunning this morning and his fingers twitched with the desire to caress that perfect, unblemished expanse of exposed skin along her shoulders and arms. He closed her door after she pulled her shapely legs in, and Hikaru berated himself for his physical reaction from just being that close. _If you don't get control of yourself, Hikaru, you won't make it through this day. Remember, you're doing this for Kyoko, not for yourself._

While Hikaru drove, Kyoko talked lightly about the weather and a new proposal for a drama that Sawara-san had handed to her early the day before. Hikaru tried to keep his focus on the road as she said, "I will be playing the younger sister of the lead. Her character is a rookie doctor, and my character has been diagnosed with leukemia. Even though she's only an intern, she devotes her time to trying to find a way to cure me. As the drama progresses she will begin violating the law in her efforts to save me. When I find out about it, I confront her and we fight until she finally agrees to stop, but not before some of her actions are discovered. The final episodes of the drama will focus on her trial and my decline. The director hasn't given us the final three episodes, so we're all on pins-and-needles wondering what the outcome of the trial will be."

"Who plays your sister?" Hikaru asked, trying to ignore the way that the morning sun made Kyoko's lips look wet and shiny.

"That's the best part! ... and the worst part. Momose Itsume, she's the one who played Mizuke in _Dark Moon_, will play my sister."

"Why would that be 'the worst part'? I thought that you and she had become friends?"

"Oh, we're friends. In fact, she's the one who petitioned the director to give me the part. You know I've been stuck in bad girl roles up until now? Well, she insisted that I could play the role, and the director went along with it. It was really kind of her, considering my lack of experience."

"You still haven't explained why this is 'the worst part'."

Kyoko frowned, and Hikaru thought her frown was almost as pretty as her smile. "Well, because Itsume-san is beautiful! How am _I_ supposed to play her sister? Shouldn't it be someone as beautiful as she is? I suppose that it's a good thing that I spend most of the story fighting cancer, so people can't expect me to look that great."

Hikaru glanced at her and then back at the road. _With any other girl, I would think she was fishing for a compliment; but I know that this is really how Kyoko thinks about herself. _Once again, for the second time that morning, his mouth moved before his brain could censor it, "Why do you do that?"

Kyoko tilted her head slightly and looked at Hikaru inquisitively, "Why do I do what?"

Having spoken, Hikaru felt bound to continue, despite his failing courage, "Why do you always denigrate yourself? Did you even look in the mirror this morning?"

Kyoko looked confused, "Of course I did. Why, is something wrong with my outfit?"

"God no!" Hikaru blurted out, blushing, "Kyoko, you're beautiful! I'm going to have to stay close to you all day long just to keep the guys from trying to pick you up. I mean…" Now that his words were out, he started stammering. He was flushed from his scalp clear down to his toes, but he forced himself to continue, "I mean, I thought you were really, really cute when you first showed up to act as Bo… but in the last year you've really matured and… Kyoko, you're really very pretty now." He saw her frozen look and felt himself beginning to panic. _Oh no, I really blew it this time. What is wrong with me today? Most days I can't even ask her out on a proper date!_

They drove on in a silence that stretched and became increasingly awkward. Hikaru could feel the sweat on his chest and under his arms. He began to wonder if everything had just been a really bad idea, and if he should just turn around and take Kyoko to LME. Finally, just as he was about to resign in defeat, Kyoko spoke. Her voice was soft, but in the silence it sang out like a siren, "You really think that I'm beautiful?"

Hikaru expelled a breath he hadn't known he had been holding, and he felt lightheaded. Still, he made himself speak, "Of course I do, Kyoko-san, and so does everyone else I know. He wanted to kick himself as his next words came out, but he couldn't seem to stop them, "Even Tsuruga Ren thinks so. Haven't you seen the way he looks at you?" _BAKA! You're trying to win her heart and you're reminding her of your biggest rival!_

His self-flagellation was interrupted as he sensed the warm morning becoming suddenly very cold, chilled even. He looked over at Kyoko and almost wrecked the car, the change was so startling. Perhaps it was an optical illusion, but she seemed to be enveloped in a cloud of desolate gloom, with some sort of transparent creatures flying around her head. He felt his panic rising as he struggled to find some subject to draw her out of this black study, until she suddenly spoke. "Tsuruga-sempai doesn't think I'm beautiful. In fact, he doesn't even want any more to do with me. He doesn't even talk to me now."

Hikaru was startled. Everything that he had seen thus far suggested that Tsuruga Ren not only thought that Mogami Kyoko was beautiful, but he might even be in love with the girl. Hikaru didn't know what else to say. He didn't exactly want to throw support to his rival, but he also didn't like to see Kyoko hurting like this. _What exactly does she think of him? If she doesn't love him, then why all of this gloom?_

He was saved from the need to find a subject to discuss when they arrived at their destination, "We're here, Kyoko-san."

Kyoko looked up mechanically from the dark kingdom where she had slipped, and suddenly the clouds began to clear. In an instant her eyes were sparkling as she looked at the scene in front of her, then back at Hikaru, and then back at the setting. "You mean, you have a task for me here!"

Hikaru smiled, feeling confidence return for the first time since Kyoko stepped out of the restaurant that morning. He had been confident that he knew the one place where he could get Kyoko's mind off of her problems for an entire day. He climbed out of the car and moved swiftly around the front to get her door for her. Kyoko climbed out of the car in a daze, not even noticing that Hikaru had taken her hand to assist her. "Welcome to Tokyo Disneyland, Kyoko-san."

* * *

Tsuruga Ren sat under the shaded patio and stared out at nothing as he waited for the crews to complete their setup for the next scene. He had always enjoyed Singapore, but today it had no allure for him whatsoever. He held his phone in his hand and scrolled though his phone numbers again… not that he needed to know the number, since it had been Speed-dial 3 since Mogami Kyoko had first been issued the phone. SD 1 was Yashiro. SD 2 was Takarada Lory. But it was SD 3 that his finger always gravitated to these days.

"Why don't you just call her, Ren?" A slightly teasing, slightly worried voice asked.

Ren looked over at his manager, who held out a bottle of water and a bento. "Thanks. Call who?" He tried to make his voice sound nonchalant.

Yashiro Yukihito snorted, "Come on, Ren. You know perfectly well who I'm talking about. Why are you torturing yourself like this? You two seemed to be getting along just fine, and then suddenly you start acting like this again. Why?"

Ren ripped the lid off of the bento and viciously broke apart the wooden chopsticks, "I need some time alone, Yashiro." His voice was angry and just short of threatening.

Yashiro glared at the man, but then he shook his head and walked away.

Ren watched him go and then bent down to retrieve the bento lid. He pressed the lid firmly in place, unscrewed the top on the water, and emptied the contents in one long swallow. Then he looked back down at his phone and turned the power off. _I have no right to ever come near you again, Kyoko. I violated your trust, and I will do it again if I get close to you. I'm so very sorry._

He laid his face in his hands and held back the tears of self-loathing that threatened to overcome him.

* * *

**Notes: **Thanks for the supportive responses. I'd also like to see other stories pop up to take on the Hikaru Challenge.

For those of you who can't stand the idea of anyone winning Kyoko except Ren, don't give up quite yet. He's not completely out of the picture.

For those of you who are waiting for the next chapter of _The Shadow's Heart_, don't worry, I'm already almost halfway through with Act V.


	3. Chapter 3

**Nice Guys Don't Always Finish Last**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or much of anything else, so please send money. I also don't own Tokyo Disneyland, and can't afford to go there (see previous statement)

**Summary: **Ishibashi Hikaru seeks to find a way to snap Kyoko out of her depression. In the process he finally gets the date with Kyoko that he always wanted… and then some.

**Chapter 3 – You owe me one… nevermind**

Kyoko was in her own dream-world, her worries completely forgotten at the moment, and Hikaru smiled. It had taken every favor he could draw on make this day happen. He had spoken hastily the night before, desperate for some way to prolong his time with Kyoko and for some way to keep her from sinking back into depression. Over the course of the night he had woken up old acquaintances, agreed to reciprocal arrangements, and even stretched friendships to the breaking point… and it had all been worth it just to see the brilliant smile on Kyoko's face this morning.

Giddy from his own success, he took a risk and reached out for Kyoko's hand. She was so lost in the moment that her only immediate reaction was to look at him inquisitively. "Come, Kyoko-san. We have to get to our first appointment in twenty minutes."

Not letting go of her hand, Hikaru led the sparkling teen through a labyrinth of cars to the employee entrance. He was recognized right away by the elderly guard, but the man raised an amused eyebrow at the pretty girl with the far-off, dreamy look. "She's Mogami Kyoko. She should be an add-on for today only." The guard winked at Hikaru in a friendly manner as he located her name. "You're clear. Have a fun day, you two." Hikaru pulled Kyoko along past the gate, hoping that Kyoko didn't hear the whispered "_I'm impressed," _coming from the guard.

The back-lot of Tokyo Disneyland was busier than any major studio that Kyoko had ever worked in. Men, women, and teens moved about in what appeared to be a chaotic frenzy, getting ready for their assigned tasks. A portion of the park was already open for the early-bird ticket holders, but the full park wouldn't open for another ten minutes. Hikaru kept a firm grip on Kyoko's hand as she looked constantly in every direction at the people in costumes and in life-sized animal characters. Occasionally someone would call out, "Oh hi, Hikaru-kun!"

Twice he had to quickly pull her close to avoid collisions with the rushing workers. On both occasions he blushed at her proximity, but she hardly even noticed. Hikaru had been studying her face throughout the morning, and he noticed now that Kyoko's expression was beginning to lose a little of its glow… in fact, she almost looked disappointed. "Is something wrong, Kyoko-san?" he asked worriedly.

Kyoko shook her head as if to clear away the euphoria. For the first time she noticed her hand in his, and she blushed while pulling lightly. Hikaru immediately released her hand and tried to control the sheepish grin that was spread on his face. Once again he asked, "Is something wrong?"

Kyoko smiled self-consciously and mumbled something. Hikaru couldn't make out her words, so he said, "Could you repeat that?"

"Princesses," she said a little more loudly, "I thought… well… I was hoping to see the princesses."

Hikaru smiled broadly, almost triumphantly, and Kyoko thought he was laughing at her until he said, "Oh, they're not here. They're somewhere else, waiting for you." Hikaru began to reach for her hand again, pulled back shyly, and said, "Come on, we have to hurry."

He led her to a beautiful covered dining area that was built to overhang a sculptured lake where swans and ducks were floating. The building was built in the oriental style with curving peaks and dragons on every corner. Inside the ceiling was timbered, and both floor, columns, and ceiling were polished to highlight the beauty of the wood. Kyoko barely noticed any of these things, however, because she was too busy gasping in wonder at the five beautiful ladies in flowing princess gowns.

One of these ladies, dressed as Snow White, stepped forward to greet the couple, "Welcome to the Princess Brunch… oh, hi Hikaru-kun, and this is… wait, are you Kyokou?"

Kyoko blinked in astonishment, gulped, and nodded. Snow White slipped out of character when she grasped Kyoko's hand, "I love your Mio, and your Natsu is so cool… even though she's cruel and all… and…" She stopped gushing and recomposed her face into the appropriate princess smile, "Forgive me, I can be overenthusiastic at times. Princesses sometimes get that way after such long naps. Please, let me show you both to your seats."

Still bewildered, Kyoko meekly followed the young lady to a reserved table. Hikaru pulled out her chair and she sat with her usual grace… another little detail about her that made Hikaru's breath catch. Kyoko thanked him, and then her eyes sparkled as Belle stepped up to greet them. "Welcome to our special guests. Hikaru-kun, could you introduce me to you're lovely date…" She stopped for a moment and frowned slightly, perplexed at Hikaru's attempts to stop her speech.

Blushing, Hikaru said, "Belle, may I introduce Mogami Kyoko to you? She's…" he cleared his throat to clear the lump in his throat, "She's an _associate_ of mine. She's actually going to be doing a little work here this afternoon."

The young actress, picking up on Hikaru's words, refrained from using the word "date" again. "I'm very honored to meet you, Kyoko-san. I hope that you will enjoy your brunch with us." She bowed and excused herself.

Kyoko watched her and the other princesses with an enchanting smile on her face. After a minute she turned to Hikaru and asked, "What exactly will I be doing today?"

Nervously, Hikaru said, "Ahh… I wanted to wait and tell you until later… as a surprise… but I promise you that it will be something that you will enjoy. Shall we go and get our food?"

Hikaru had forgotten to tell Kyoko not to eat breakfast, so she kept her portion mainly to fruits. Hikaru, being nervous, took small portions, finished them quickly, and then excused himself to go and get more. As if on signal, Snow White and Cinderella went to Kyoko's table and took seats. "Are you really the actress who plays Mio and Natsu?" Cinderella asked without preamble, "You seem so cute and nice, but your characters are _soooo scary_."

Kyoko blushed, but she liked the other girl's open, friendly face, "Yes, I'm Kyouko. You see, I got kind-of stuck in bad girl roles after playing the killer angel on the _Prisoner_ PV…" She deliberately avoided using Sho's name, but it was to no avail.

"Oooh, that was you! You were the one who strangled Fuwa Sho, weren't you?" Snow White gushed, "You are _sooo luckyyy_, getting to work with _the_ Fuwa Sho! Tell us," they both leaned in excitedly, "What is he like? Is he really as good looking in person…" Both girls suddenly felt cold shivers passing up and down their spines and they sensed an almost demonic aura surrounding them for just a moment, but then it was gone again.

_I will not let that punk ruin this day for me,_ Kyoko thought with determination. She smiled at the girls and said, "Oh, he is just as handsome… in a sort of wannabe bad-boy sort of way. I can't say how he is to work with otherwise… you see, my job was to strangle him and throw him off of the tower… and that wasn't so bad." The two girls looked at the pretty teen actress in confusion, not sure exactly how to interpret her words. Then they saw Hikaru coming back and they promptly excused themselves.

"Did you have a nice visit, Kyoko-san?" He paused half-way into his seat when he thought he saw a dark, strained expression, but it changed into a beautiful smile so quickly that he decided that it was just a trick of the sun. "You're smart. You didn't eat too much, so you could probably go on rides right away." He took a forkful of scrambled eggs with sausage, chewed, swallowed, and then continued, "But I was really hungry… so I thought maybe we'd start by going to the castle and looking around there first."

Kyoko looked confused, "But… don't we have to report in to wherever we need to work?"

"Oh no…" he waved the idea off, "we don't have to report in until this afternoon."

"Then… why are we here so early?"

Hikaru gulped. He had hoped that she would just accept whatever happened today and not ask difficult questions. He sighed inwardly and decided that honesty was the best approach, "Actually, Kyoko-san, you looked so depressed yesterday that I thought that a morning of fun would do you good. I took the liberty of agreeing to a deal: Our work this afternoon in exchange for a free day of food and fun at the park… I hope that it's okay?"

Kyoko looked at her sempai and friend for a long time, making him want to squirm. Kyoko remembered her depression of the previous day, and then she realized how fresh and alive she had felt all mornings since arriving at the park. _He did this all for me. He took me out for coffee. He brought me here. He even arranged for us to have brunch with my favorite characters. Hikaru is so nice to me sometimes._ Finally, she smiled brightly, "Thank you, Hikaru-san. You are really kind."

* * *

Yashiro Yukihito stood just off the set of Ren's movie and frowned as he watched the tall man go through yet another scene without a single NG. As his manager, Yashiro knew that he should be overjoyed with his charge for maintaining such a pristine professional record… but as Ren's friend he was becoming increasingly alarmed. Yashiro had been watching the younger man for days, and he was becoming convinced that something was terribly wrong.

It had begun with Ren's catatonic episode after the near wreck. That incident was still unexplained to Yashiro's mind. He knew that Takarada Lory knew something that he wasn't sharing. He also knew, from overhearing the conversation, that the President's real reason for assigning Mogami Kyoko to play Setsu Heel was that she could be his "Talisman against evil" … whatever _that_ meant. There must have been something there, because it was Kyoko, still dressed as Natsu from Box 'R, who came onto the outdoor set and snapped Ren out of his trance.

Despite his worries, Yashiro had been ecstatic at the implications when Kyoko had taken the initiative, and even spontaneously grabbed Ren's hand. He had been almost giddy when he heard that Kyoko had helped Ren with dinner that same night, and that she had even slept over. And then everything began to spiral downward. Ren wouldn't visit or eat lunch with Kyoko. He wouldn't call her or offer her a ride. And when he had to work with Kyoko, he kept his interactions with her at a bare minimum and then promptly left the set. Worst of all, Kyoko was actually trying to establish contact with Ren, and the troublesome man still wouldn't respond.

If there had just been a fight, that might have been one thing; but there was no indication of that whatsoever. Worse still, Ren seemed to be shrinking into himself more and more each day. He continued to excel on-set, but he was becoming a mere shadow off-set. The director called out ,"Cut!" and Yashiro watched Ren move on to the next set for yet another scene. Once the actor was out of view, Yashiro quickly pulled on a pair of rubber gloves and dialed a number from memory. He waited for the reply, and then he said, "Yes, President, this is Yashiro Yukihito. Do you have a few minutes to talk with me about Ren?"

* * *

Shouko Aki scanned the wide avenue leading up to the castle and muttered a few words that were probably inappropriate for the setting, but were certainly appropriate for the bleach-blond delinquent who she had to spend every day babysitting. _Where is that *&^%! He needs to be on stage for the sound check in forty-five minutes! Aauugh! I hate this place! _Shouko didn't really hate Tokyo Disneyland, she just hated the size of the place and the ease with which Sho had been able to ditch and evade her. For the last hour she had been wandering the park, ignoring the heated stares of men, and building blisters on her heels. Sho wasn't answering his phone and he wasn't where he was supposed to be.

Exhausted and irritated, resisted the urge to beat up the mouse that kept flirting with her, Shouko spotted a refreshment stand and headed toward it. A older Chinese woman punched her husband's arm when he started taking pictures of Shouko Aki instead of her, but Shouko ignored them. She placed her order, took a grateful sip, and settled back on the bench to give relief to her aching feet. She was just taking another sip when she heard a familiar voice say, "Shouko-san, what are you doing here?"

Shouko surged forward and choked on the pop. A slender hand patted her on the back solicitously, while a young man knelt in front of her, offering her a paper napkin that he had hastily retrieved from a table. "Are you okay, Shouko-san? I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to startle you!" Shouko reached back and stopped the slender hand that was kneading her shoulders now. _Oh God, this is the last thing I need today. _She made herself calm down before answering, "Hello, Mogami-san, I wasn't expecting to find you here."

She looked at the young man and suddenly recognized him from Bridge Rock, "And hello to you, Ishibashi Hikaru-san." She looked back and forth between them. "And what brings you to Disneyland today?"

Kyoko smiled tentatively while scanning the crowd, "We have a job here this afternoon." She didn't explain further since she didn't know herself. "Are you here alone?" The question, and Kyoko's concern, was obvious and Shouko echoed it silently. Having Sho and Kyoko in the same park at the same time, no matter how large the park might be, was a disaster in the making.

"Unfortunately, I'm here with _him_, or at least I'm supposed to be," Shouko said, unable to completely hide the ire in her voice. Kyoko groaned. "He's supposed to be on stage in Tomorrowland for a sound-check in…" she checked her watch and groaned, "…thirty-two minutes. His phone is turned off and I haven't seen him for over an hour."

Kyoko scowled and her mouth sneered, "He's becoming more of a visual-K type every day. Have you tried the arcades?"

"I've passed them. I thought that Sho didn't like that sort of thing…"

Kyoko snorted, "Yeah, just like he doesn't like television game-shows.

Hikaru had been watching the exchange with interest and concern, now he spoke up, "There's only the Penny Arcade, which wouldn't hold his interest. Any other ideas?"

Kyoko furrowed her brows, "Someplace where he can pick on other people?"

Hikaru tilted his head and ran the entire park through his mind, "There are water cannons around Splash Mountain. You can shoot streams of water at people."

"That's it then. Hikaru and I will go with you there…" She colored at her audacity, "… if that is okay with you, Hikaru-san?"

Hikaru nodded, still a little confused, "Not a problem. Do you have Shouko's phone number in case we get separated and find him?"

Kyoko pulled out her phone and then hesitated, "Shouko-san, please, under no circumstances give this number to _him_… okay?"

The three moved quickly through the park until they reached Splash Mountain. Kyoko and Hikaru went right while Shouko went left. It was Kyoko who spotted the tall figure with an Indiana Jones hat and ridiculous plastic sunglasses. He was grinning maniacally as he shot streams of water straight at the heads of the people in the toboggan. Hikaru watched in amazement as Kyoko walked up to the tall young man, grabbed him by the ear, and pulled him away from the cannon.

"Ouch! Let me go!" He looked ridiculous in his getup, but he looked even more ridiculous with a girl two-thirds his size dragging him down the avenue by his ear.

"Shut up, Fuwachi! Shouko's going crazy looking for you, your phone is turned off, and you have commitments. When are you finally going to grow up!" Hikaru's eyes grew even larger after watching the exchange. He pulled out his phone to call Shouko, but then he saw her coming up behind them. She saw the spectacle and quickly covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.

Kyoko saw Shouko and dragged her captive in front of her, "Here, he's yours now. I hope that you can do something with him, cause I never could." With that she released Sho's ear and wheeled to return to Hikaru's side.

Sho, rubbing his ear, looked after her and saw her joining another young man. Completely forgetting his situation, he surged after her to grab her arm, "What are you doing here with _that runt_!"

Kyoko instantly became Mio, throwing Sho's arm away disdainfully and glaring him down, "Hikaru-san is _not_ a runt. He is a mature and responsible entertainer, two characteristics that you will probably never have. Now go and do whatever you are supposed to do here, and leave me alone!"

The crowd had witnessed the exchange. Cameras and phone cams were going off everywhere as soon as people recognized Fuwa Sho. Before he could bark another word, he was surrounded by adoring teen fans. Hikaru, thinking quickly, grabbed Kyoko's hand and pulled her off into an employee-only area. Thankfully, nobody had recognized Kyoko quickly enough to follow. The two young people stood in the quite area, unnoticed, and caught their breaths. Hikaru, still thinking about the vision of Kyoko dragging the musical superstar by the ear, started laughing. Kyoko scowled at him at first, but was soon joining in. Within moments they were laughing so hard that they had tears running down their faces.

Hikaru finally got himself under control and looked into the beautiful honey-golden eyes of the girl who had stolen his heart. Smiling like that, with moister in the corners of her eyes, she looked stunning. Every fiber of his body wanted to touch her, to hold and caress her; instead he settled for reaching out and taking her hand. "Let's go and ride some rides before we need to go to our job."

This time, Kyoko was actually very aware of her hand in his, but for some reason she didn't mind. The past few weeks had been so intense, with her getting close to Ren as Setsu Heel, and his near accident, and then his deliberate withdrawal from her, that Kyoko needed human warmth. Hikaru, her friend and sempai, was nice, and funny, and so much simpler to understand. Kyoko didn't explore her feelings any more than that. Hikaru was neither arrogant like Sho, nor complex and overpowering like Tsuruga Ren… and Kyoko liked that.

Hikaru continued in his refusal to divulge their secret task, so Kyoko chose not to push the issue. Instead she punished him by dragging him to ride after ride, even though he looked like he might turn green at times. Finally she took mercy on him and offered to take the Pirates of the Caribbean ride with him. It was when they were standing in line for this that their identities were finally compromised. Hikaru, no longer able to restrain his curiosity, nor the sliver of jealousy that was boring under his skin, asked Kyoko quietly, "Kyoko-san… how do you know…" he leaned in to whisper, "… Fuwa-san so well?" For a moment Kyoko slipped into Mio-mode and her grudges began to emerge. There, in the dim light of the tunnel leading to the Pirates ride, a group of teens saw the transformation and screamed, "It's her! It's Mio, from _Dark Moon, _right!"

This made everyone examine her companion, and in a heartbeat longer he was recognized as well. The couple sighed, acknowledged their identities, and agreed to sign autographs as they moved through the line. After a few minutes a worker walked back to discover what was causing the hold-up. When he saw Hikaru, he quickly said, "Hikaru, grab your date and I'll get you out of this mess!" Kyoko blanched at the word "date," but allowed herself to be dragged into a side door and then out another, pushing them to the front of the line. The worker, who never identified himself to Kyoko, clapped Hikaru on the shoulder and pushed the couple into the next available longboat, all alone. They sat, and the man immediately sent them on their way.

Everything had happened so fast that they sat there, stunned. Then Kyoko realized that they were still holding hands. Blushing, she pulled away. After an awkward silence floating through the dark pirate swamp, she asked, "Hikaru-san, why does everybody here seem to know you?"

Hikaru, grateful for the break in the silence, took a chance, "Uh-uh, I asked you first. Who is Fuwa Sho to you? And please don't get mad. I only want to understand you better."

Kyoko colored at the possible implications of that statement, but she decided to answer. In a very brief narrative, leaving out many details, she summarized her life with Sho. Hikaru's eyes grew large in amazement. He never would have guessed that Kyoko would have such connections, or that anyone could have treated her so cruelly, "What an *sshole…" he turned a deep shade of red, "Oh! I'm sorry for…"

"That's all right," Kyoko giggled, "That's a very apt description. Thank you for not holding this against me."

"Holding it against you? I don't understand: You supported a person who you thought was a friend, and he stabbed you in the back. How can you be at fault for that?"

Kyoko frowned in such a pretty way that Hikaru's chest hurt, "Whenever the subject of Sho comes up around Tsuruga-sempai, he gets really angry."

Without thinking about his words, Hikaru said, "That's just because of jealousy. He doesn't want Fuwa…"

He stopped speaking as he saw the hurt look in her eyes. "Kyoko, let's not talk about Tsuruga Ren right now. You're here with me, and we're here to have fun."

With visible determination, Kyoko forced a smile back onto her face and nodded. "But what about our job?"

"We'll head there after this. I promise that you'll have fun there too."

By the time that the ride ended, Kyoko was beginning to be overwhelmed with curiosity about her mysterious task. She didn't have long to wait, as she rounded the corner back onto Main Street and saw the various floats for the parade. A voice boomed, "Hikaru! You're late!"

A little, stocky man stomped towards them, "I needed you here thirty minutes ago. How am I supposed to get your girl ready and into character with the time I have left?"

Hikaru grinned, "Hey, Tomori-san, allow me to introduce my friend…"

"No time. I just hope that she can act!" The man reached for Kyoko and tried to drag her away. Kyoko looked stunned and meekly followed, until Hikaru, laughing, placed an arresting hand on the older man's shoulder.

"Tomori-san, stop and listen. You have over thirty minutes before the parade starts, so stop panicking. This is Mogami Kyoko, one of the best young character actresses that you'll ever meet (Kyoko immediately blushed and looked startled, but Hikaru went on before she could protest). Just tell her which princess you want her to be, point her in the right direction, and enjoy the show."

Kyoko heard one word: "Princess" and everything else became unimportant. "I'm going to play a princess? In the parade?"

He grinned triumphantly, "Surprise!" Before he could say anything else, Kyoko launched herself at him and gave him a hug. When she realized what she had done, she jumped back in embarrassment, but Hikaru just grinned wide enough to hurt his face. She might have fallen on her face in a dogeeza, but Tomoji-san grabbed her again and gruffly pulled her away.

The next twenty minutes were spent in a dressing room with a bunch of ladies slipping her into the costume of Sleeping Beauty, doing her makeup, and instructing her in her duties. Kyoko was already lost in a dream world, causing several of the ladies to be concerned about her aptitude for the task. That only lasted until she stood, completely transformed into the guise of an elegant, poised princess.

Outside, Tomoji-san grunted, "You owe me one, boy. If she doesn't do a good job, I'm going to make you sweep this entire park by yourself tonight."

Hikaru was about to reply when Kyoko stepped out and allowed herself to be led towards the floats. Both men stared in open-mouthed wonder at the transformation. Kyoko had always been slender, with a perfect posture. Now she looked regal and radiant, floating rather than walking to her assigned ride as if she had just stepped out of the royal chambers of a fairy kingdom. Hikaru's heart was beating a mile a minute as he looked at her, and if he wasn't in love already, he would have been at that moment.

Tomoji-san clapped the young man fondly on his shoulder and squeezed. Hikaru reluctantly looked away from Kyoko's beauty to meet the man's eyes. Tomoji smirked and said, "Nevermind, Hikaru-kun. She'll do just fine."

* * *

**Notes: **Whew! A longer chapter than I had intended. Anyway, I think that Hikaru delivered… but will he be able to win fair lady's heart? Stay tuned for the next chapter… which I promise will be done some time before 2012.

I should point out that I've never been to Tokyo Disneyland, and therefore I only know what I could learn about it online. My experiences have all been with the U.S. parks.

Hikaru's connection with the park will be explained in the following chapter. This one has already grown too large.

Thanks for reading and reviewing.


	4. Chapter 4

**Nice Guys Don't Always Finish Last**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or much of anything else, so please send money. I also don't own Tokyo Disneyland, and can't afford to go there (see previous statement)

**Summary: **Ishibashi Hikaru seeks to find a way to snap Kyoko out of her depression. In the process he finally gets the date with Kyoko that he always wanted… and then some.

**Chapter 4 – Baby Steps and Black Eyes**

Hikaru stood there, stunned, as Kyoko gracefully made her way up to the top of the float to join Snow White, Cinderella, and Belle. In his opinion, the other three, though he knew them all well, paled in comparison to Kyoko… she was shining at that moment.

"Ha-hmmmm," Tomori cleared his throat loudly. Hikaru reluctantly tore his gaze away from the girl he loved and met the older man's eyes. He grimaced when he saw Tomori looking meaningfully at his pocket-watch.

"You're really going to make me…?"

"Deals a deal," Tomori said gruffly, but with a glint of malicious amusement in his eyes. "The costume is ready for you, and you're almost out of time. Best get movin'."

Hikaru could have sworn that the man was laughing as he stomped away to check on another part of the parade. Sighing in frustrated resignation, he stepped into the men's changing room. _She's worth it, Hikaru old boy. Just remember that. She's definitely worth it._

Kyoko couldn't believe where she was, how she was dressed, and how she was doing. Never in a thousand years… no, that wasn't true… she had dreamed of being here every time she saw this parade on television… but she would never have believed that she would be here. Enough of the euphoria had worn off at this point for her to wonder: _How is this possible? How did Hikaru do this for me? And why?_

She turned to Snow White, since she had met her earlier, "Do they allow walk-on's in the parade all of the time?"

Snow White shook her head, "No, almost never."

"Then… how did I manage to get here?"

"Well, Hikaru called and arranged everything," Snow White said, as if that explained everything.

Kyoko digested the vague explanation and it reminded her, "That's right, I was wondering: How come everyone here knows him?"

Cinderella, who had been listening in, looked at Kyoko as if she was dense, "Kyouko-san, the Ishibashi Brothers started out as Disney Idols here at this park. They practically lived here as teenagers. Don't you remember them on the commercials and the weekly comedy shows?"

Kyoko looked stunned, and then embarrassed, "Umm, until two years ago I lived in Kyoto… and I almost never watched television. I don't even own one now."

Belle, who had been eavesdropping with something more than curiosity, jumped into the conversation, "You're a television star and you never watch television? I mean, you're Bo, for heaven's sake…" The pretty lady stopped speaking when she saw Kyoko's expression change.

"How…" Kyoko cleared her throat as the three ladies looked at her. Unwittingly, Kyoko cycled through her personalities until Natsu stepped in, "That is interesting… Belle. I'm curious, how do you know that interesting piece of information?"

Belle stepped back and the others stepped aside as Natsu, in the guise of Sleeping Beauty, began advancing in her sultry, sophisticated way, across the float towards the other lady, "I thought…" she giggled in a frightening way, "… that information was a _very_ closely held secret?"

Belle gulped and nodded, feeling the threat beneath the smile, "I… I'm sorry… you see, Shinichi is my boyfriend… and he…"

Kyoko was back to her normal, friendly self in an instant, "Shinichi-san is your boyfriend? That's great! He's always so funny and he comes up with the best gags. What's your real name, if it's okay to ask?"

Belle shook her head to clear the nightmare image that still tingled in her mind. "I'm Chieko, and this is Arisa and Emi," she gestured to Snow White and Cinderella respectively. "That was really scary… I mean, you seemed like you really were Natsu for a moment."

Kyoko looked at her in confusion, and then contrition, "Ohh, I'm sorry… I was just worried. You see, nobody is supposed to know who wears the suit... I hope that I didn't frighten you?"

Eri giggled, "Girl, you have to be the most interesting person I've ever met. I told you this morning that you seemed too cute and nice to be Natsu… but I was wrong."

Arisa grabbed her hand, "You play Bo too? You're amazing! Do you know that Bo's the most popular animal character on Japanese TV right now? It's like… all of the other variety shows are trying to make their own mascots just because your Bo is so popular!"

A bell clanged and the three girls straightened up. "Well, time to start ladies," Arisa pronounced cheerfully.

Kyoko looked around before reverting to her princess-character, "But where's Hikaru-sempai?"

Chieko smirked and pointed to the Neverland float, "He's Peter Pan. See, he's climbing the mast of Captain Hook's ship?" The pretty girl looked at Kyoko speculatively, "He must really like you. He hated playing Peter Pan because his brothers would always tease him about still looking like a kid."

Kyoko looked at Belle with stunned embarrassment, "Hikaru-san doesn't _like_ me… at least, not like you're implying. I'm just his kohai on Bridge Rock…" She stopped speaking as Chieko gave her a look that implied disbelief.

"Girl, you have no idea, do you? He'll kill me if he ever finds out I told you, but it's for his own good. Hikaru-kun is head-over-heels for you, Kyoko-san. You're all he ever thinks about and his brothers tease him all of the time. It's only fair that you should know. After all, he spent half the night calling in favors, arranging things just so that he could do this for you today."

Just then the float jerked and began to slowly move forward. Belle moved over into position, leaving Kyoko to digest this new information. True to her professionalism, nobody along the parade route was aware of the turmoil in her mind. She was Sleeping Beauty, regal, poised, and supremely serene. Although a completely clinical observer might compare her to the other three and find her nothing special, she had such a glow and grace about her that she looked like she was the one true princess, and that the entire parade was being held just to highlight her beauty.

But inside of that spectacular mask, a deeply wounded female was looking honestly and openly at another male. Kyoko had not entertained any special feelings for Hikaru, other than friendship, up until that point. Now, for the first time in a very long time, Kyoko was considering another man as a potential romantic partner. She saw him clashing swords with Captain Hook. He fit the part of Peter Pan well, with his youthful appearance and soft features. But underneath that was a man who had pulled out all of the stops just to make her feel better… and a man who had never once made her feel insignificant… and she had a thought, _Hikaru looks handsome up there with a sword in his hand… a true hero._

* * *

Fuwa Sho had finished his first of three performances for the day. He had been hired to give added luster to a new ride that had just been constructed. It was an annoyance, of course, because he usually played to much larger crowds. He wasn't worried about that at the moment. He had ditched Shouko once again and his eyes were scanning the crowds for any trace of his quarry. _How dare she treat me like that! When I get my hands on her… and what was she doing with that runt? Don't tell me that he's interested in her too! Can't they see how plain and boring the girl is? Besides, she's mine. She belongs…_

His thoughts stuttered as he found her in the most unexpected place: she was riding on a float with several other ladies, dressed elaborately as a princess… and she was stunning. As he watched her he tried to make his mind function again, but he seemed to be caught up in watching her, captivated by her brilliant smile and sparkling eyes.

Beside him a deep voice said, "Now _that_ is a princess! Man, the others are cute, but her… Did you see those eyes?"

"Yeah man, those are bedroom eyes… the kind that scream out 'take me, take me'." This voice was younger, yet still male, and obnoxious.

"I don't know about that, but oh man, I'd sure like to lift that hoop skir…" The first man, a stocky balding man, stopped speaking when a tall, furious looking rebel type rounded on him, murder in his eyes. "That _princess_ you're talking about belongs to me. I'd advise you both to shut up!"

Kyoko never even noticed the fight that ensued on the sidelines. Her float was already past, and more often than not her focus was on the young man on the Neverland float.

Tomori was so pleased with Kyoko's performance that he asked her to also ride on the Electric Parade in the evening. Hikaru encouraged her to agree, just as long as he would be allowed to watch from the sidelines. Kyoko, declined politely. She wanted to spend more time with Hikaru to explore this new idea. She asked for a rain check, exchanged contact information with Tomori, and informed Hikaru that she was getting hungry. They ate in an antebellum mansion, facing the riverboat dock. Hikaru sensed that something had happened, but he couldn't quite decipher Kyoko's mood. After a pleasant meal they walked though the park without any agenda, catching shows if the timing was right, riding rides if the lines were short, but otherwise just enjoying each other's company.

Kyoko had an early start on the following morning, and she had promised to help in the Daruma-ya during the evening, so they left the park at 5pm. Hikaru felt Kyoko's eyes on him, studying him, throughout the drive, but whenever he looked over, her expression was indiscernible. Traffic was remarkably light and the ride was shorter than expected. He felt like grumbling, wishing for a way to extend this perfect day. When he pulled the car up in front of the restaurant he stopped the car, intending to climb out and open her door, but he froze when her slender fingers settled on his arm.

"Hikaru-san, today wasn't about a job, was it? Was today meant to be a date?"

Hikaru flinched. He turned to meet her eyes, looking for anger, but he saw something else… something that made him feel hopeful, "Not if you didn't want it to be, Kyoko-san. I… I really wanted you to have a great day, since you seemed so sad lately…" He stopped, unable to think of anything else to say in the deafening silence.

Kyoko blushed slightly as she said, "I'm busy from morning until night tomorrow… but I'm free after six on the following day… if…"

Hikaru felt his heart surge in his chest and he couldn't restrain the smile that leapt to his face, "Kyoko-san, if you're free on Wednesday evening, it would be my honor to take you to dinner and a show."

Kyoko smiled shyly. "I accept."

After he watched her slender body disappear into the Daruma-ya, Hikaru drove home, grinning like a maniac and trying his best not to speed.

They had their second date, and then a third, and in each instance they talked, and laughed, and enjoyed each other's company. There was no physical contact, except for hand-holding. Hikaru instinctively sensed that Kyoko wouldn't welcome that yet. Hikaru was content just being close to this amazingly complex and lively creature. He felt himself falling for her more deeply each day, and his hopes were beginning to surge.

It was on Thursday, the day of the Bridge Rock show, that he began to sense that something was wrong. He greeted Kyoko enthusiastically when she entered the studio, but and she returned his greeting, but she lacked her usual fire… in fact, she had resumed her pained, haunted look. She was her usual animated and spontaneous self as Bo, but she promptly disappeared after the show. Hikaru found her in almost the same position as on the previous week, although she had remembered to shed her suit this time.

"Kyoko-chan?" He asked, feeling a strange pain in his own heart. Somehow, although he hated the thought, he knew what was happening. "He's back, isn't he?"

Kyoko looked at Hikaru with pained eyes that hurt him down to his very soul, "What did I do wrong, Hikaru-kun? Why won't Tsuruga-sempai talk to me? And why does it hurt me so much?"

In that instant Hikaru knew that he couldn't deny the truth any longer. Kyoko, his Kyoko, was already in love with another man. He felt anger and jealousy and even rage boiling inside, but he didn't allow them to take control. Instead, after gulping back the sob that hovered just inside of his throat, he sat beside Kyoko, put his arm over her shoulder, and pulled her head to his shoulder. In an instant all of Kyoko's deep-felt pain rose to the surface, the dam broke, and she began to sob into his shoulder.

Shinichi, walking down the hallway, heard the muffled sound and peaked into the room. He saw Kyoko crying into Hikaru's shoulder, and started to step in, but Hikaru's painful eyes stopped him. No words were spoken, but Shinichi nodded and backed out of the room, closing the doors behind him.

In half an hour Kyoko had cried herself out. She remained in place, allowing the warmth of Hikaru's shoulder to comfort her. Then she became aware of his tear-soaked shirt and she pulled back. Hikaru, her dear friend, looked at her with a tender expression. "I'll take you home now, Kyoko-chan. You probably should try to sleep as best as you can tonight. Where will you be tomorrow?"

"I have LoveMe work all morning. After that I will be filming Box 'R."

"Good," Hikaru said, not explaining. He stood and offered her a hand, which she took. "Try to get some sleep tonight, Kyoko-chan. Tomorrow will be a better day."

* * *

Takarada Lory had foregone any costume that evening. His mind was on serious issues and he wanted to offer no distraction to the young man seated across from him. "Tell me what is going on, Ren."

"Nothing is wrong, Boss. I'm just fine. If you'll excuse me, I'm tired from the trip and I would like to go home."

"Sit down," The President of LME demanded quietly, but with command in his voice. He smoothed his mustache as he studied the tall young man who was so alike and yet so different from his father. "I had my concerns in letting you take on the role of a serial killer. The character's passion was too closely matched to Kuon's. That is why I assigned Mogami-san to stay close to you. It worked too. When you slipped back into your past, she was there to pull you back. But there seems to be a misconception here."

Ren lifted tired eyes and regarded the man who had once offered him a chance to leave his past behind. "I don't understand. What misconception?"

"When I invited you to Japan, it wasn't so that you could throw away your true self and fashion a fake one to live with for the rest of your life. My intent was only that you be provided with a fresh start in a new place where nobody knew you, or your family connections."

"What's your point?" Ren was tired and worn thin, so Kuon's personality was dominant at the moment.

"My point, dear boy, is that you can't bury your true self forever. It will come out, and if you don't make peace with your past, it will destroy you."

Ren snorted, "I know that all too well. That's why I want you to cancel Mogami Kyoko's task to play my shadow. It's for the best if she doesn't come anywhere near me."

Lory's eyes narrowed, "Something happened." It was a statement, not a question. He studied the tall actor for a long time before speaking again, "No. I won't change her task. She is your talisman against evil, and you need her."

"It's not safe."

"Ren, let's stop beating around the bush. You are in love with Mogami Kyoko. Everyone who sees you two together can see that. I, of all people, can appreciate that. But I will not alter work schedules to accommodate, hinder, or squash it. You are Twenty-one years old… you figure it out yourself… and in the meantime, treat her properly. Whatever your problem is, you've really been hurting her feelings by ignoring her."

Lory dismissed the exhausted young man and sent him home for the night. He sat back and rubbed his temples to fight off the annoying pain. _I'd like to know what went wrong. They seemed to be finally making progress. _He flipped a manila folder open and looked at the photographs of Kyoko and Ishibashi Hikaru and the photograph of Kyoko dragging Fuwa Sho by the ear. _You had better get your act together, Kuon, or you're going to lose her for good._

The phone on his desk rang and he leaned in his chair while he picked it up, "Hello… Oh, Ishibashi-san, I was just thinking about you… Ren's address? Are you sure that's a good… Okay, let me get that for you…

* * *

The following morning, Hikaru sat parked in front of the Daruma-ya, surprising Kyoko when she came out. "Good morning, Hikaru-kun," she said through reddened eyes, "I wasn't expecting you today… actually, I need to ride my bike…"

"Get in, Kyoko-chan. Everything's taken care of," His voice had a strange, unhappy quality to it. Something about the tone touched Kyoko, and she decided to go along.

After she climbed into the little car, she looked over at him and exclaimed, "Hikaru! What happened to you're neck? It's bruised… And you're hand!"

"Don't worry about it, Kyoko-chan. It's not important, and it will go away in no time. We need to talk."

"About what?" Kyoko was a little taken aback by Hikaru's tone.

"Kyoko, do you understand why you feel so badly about Tsuruga Ren ignoring you?"

A dark cloud of gloom began to fill the car, but Hikaru reached out and laid a bandaged, restraining hand on Kyoko's shoulder, "Kyoko, am I your friend?"

Kyoko nodded, unable to speak.

"Would you please trust me?"

Kyoko regarded her friend, remembering all that he had done for her over the last week, "I trust you, Hikaru-kun."

"Then please trust what I'm about to tell you. Kyoko, the reason that you're hurting is because you're in love."

Immediately Kyoko's face transformed into a mask of horror and denial, but Hikaru gripped her arm hard enough that the physical discomfort kept her attention focused (he had to ignore the pain in his hand for the moment). "Think about it, Kyoko, and try to be honest with yourself. I'm right, aren't I?"

Hikaru focused on driving without taking his hand away from Kyoko. She sat, deep in contemplation as he drove, oblivious to her surroundings. Finally she sighed, with tears in her eyes, and nodded, "You're right, but it doesn't matter. I did something wrong, and now he doesn't even want to look at me anymore."

Hikaru pulled the car over, turned off the ignition, and shifted in his seat to look at her, "You didn't do anything wrong; he did, and because of what he did he's been torturing himself for the last three weeks. If you care about him… if you love him… then go to him now. He's waiting."

Kyoko's eyes grew wide and she looked around for the first time, realizing where she was, "Hikaru, please… no!"

"Kyoko, if you don't go, he's going to think that you are rejecting him forever. For your own sake, if not for his, you need to go and hear him out. I'll stay right here, in case you decide to leave. Now go."

Kyoko looked at Hikaru for a full minute before she finally reached for the door handle with trembling hands. Almost involuntarily her body carried her out of the car, into the apartment building, onto the elevator, and down the corridor to Tsuruga Ren's apartment. She stood there for several minutes before finally reaching weakly up and depressing the button. Almost immediately, the door flew open to reveal Tsuruga Ren.

His body was slouched. His hair was disheveled. His palour was sickly. But these features weren't what arrested her attention. Without any conscious thought her hand reached up to gently touch his face as she said, "Tsuruga-san… what happened to your eye?"

Tsuruga Ren, flinching from the pain in his blackened eye, suddenly rushed forward and seized Kyoko in his arms. Kyoko froze instantly, but as she felt the big man sobbing against her shoulder, she reached out and hugged his large head to her chest.

Outside, sitting in his car, Ishibashi Hikaru turned on his music and also allowed his tears to flow.

* * *

**Notes: **Don't leave me yet! One more chapter to go, along with an explanation about why everyone is sporting bruises.

Although I took the challenge, I believe that at this advanced stage in the story (ch. 168) Ren already owns Kyoko's heart. I would have had to go back before 100 in order to change that. Hikaru is not the type of person to hold Kyoko back from her true love, even if it causes him great pain… but all is not finished yet.

Thank you again to everyone who has read and reviewed. I told some of you that the explanation for Ren's withdrawal would be explained in chapter 4, but the chapter got too long. All will be revealed in chapter 5.


	5. Chapter 5

**Nice Guys Don't Always Finish Last**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or much of anything else, so please send money. I also don't own Tokyo Disneyland, and can't afford to go there (see previous statement)

**Summary: **Ishibashi Hikaru seeks to find a way to snap Kyoko out of her depression. In the process he finally gets the date with Kyoko that he always wanted… and then some.

**Chapter 5 – Punishment and Reward**

How long Kyoko hung, suspended off of the floors in Tsurugar Ren's arms, she would never afterward know for sure. All that she did know was that something that had been terribly broken inside her began to mend, even as the man who meant the most to her in the world cried like his heart was ripping apart. She marveled in his strength with one part of her mind, even while she stroked his hair and tried to comfort him with another.

Eventually the tears, and Ren's guilty tension, released enough that he once again became aware of their situation. Gently, as if handling the most delicate glass sculpture, Ren carried Kyoko over to the couch and set her down. Kyoko watched in shocked amazement as the six-foot five man knelt in front of her, executing a dogeeza. "Tsuruga-san… please, get up… what are you…?"

The pain in his eyes arrested her words as he sat back on his feet and said, "Please, Mogami Kyoko… please just listen to my confession… afterwards… if you're still speaking to me… we can talk of other things."

Kyoko bit her lip and nodded. Ren took a deep, almost painful breath and began, "On the night that you came to my apartment to help me… after my near accident… after you stayed over because it was so late… you came to me…" Ren gulped again, as if terrified for what he was going to say next, "You came to me in the middle of the night. I thought that you were awake. I thought that you were finally responding to my feelings for you… and…and…"

Kyoko's face turned ashen, and then almost crimson as she read between the lines and saw the truth on his face. Almost in a whisper, she asked, "Did I… did we…. Ummm…?"

"NO! I didn't go that far, I realized that you were sleepwalking before it was too late." Ren hung his head in shame, "I'm so sorry, Kyoko. I was sleepy, and when you came in… but there's no excuse, and you trusted me enough to stay in my apartment alone with me… More than anything in the world, to lose your trust…"

With an outer calm that completely put a lie to her inner feelings, Kyoko said, "So what you're saying is that I came to you, in your bedroom, in the middle of the night? I only have one question… Ren… did you force me to do anything, or was I…?" She blushed, unable to continue.

Ren answered earnestly, "You were… responsive…" He blushed as well. He had been with many women, but none who he loved, and none who elicited such powerful emotional and physical feelings from him. One part of him wanted to relive that evening, while another part feared that his actions would drive Kyoko away forever. "That's why I assumed that you were awake."

Kyoko studied the man, leaving him on his knees, as she painted the scene in her head. Her face, and other parts of her body flushed with the all-too-vivid imagery. _Am I remembering? Have I just buried this in my subconscious?_

Finally, she said, "And the black eye… and the bruises on Hikaru's neck?"

Ren actually grinned ruefully, "That was my punishment, or at least, a part of it."

That information was enough to push Kyoko past her embarrassment. "Perhaps you better explain?"

Ren, at this point, finally realized that Kyoko wasn't reacting in her normal way. He had expected her to either wilt away and hide in the corner, or turn into the goddess of vengeance, intent on destroying him for his transgressions. This calm, poised Kyoko was a mystery to him.

He recalled that she was waiting, "Ishibashi Hikaru came and visited me last night, demanding to know what I was thinking, putting you through such torture. He was extremely mad at me… and he let me know what I was putting you through… I'm sorry… I was so worried about what I had done…"

He looked deeply into her golden eyes, a little more in-control, as he continued; "He said… he said that you were in love with me…" he waited for a response. When there was none, he went on, "He demanded an explanation for what happened… I don't know why, but I told him. When I was finished, I looked down… and that's when he hit me hard enough to almost knock me off of the couch."

He rubbed his bruised face with chagrin, "I grabbed him by the throat… I think that I might have choked the life out of him… but he just looked at me with this determined look… and I let him go."

After a long silence, Kyoko prompted, "And then?"

"And then he told me that the punch was my punishment. He told me that I was cowardly and wrong to punish myself by punishing you. He told me that, if I didn't get my act together and stop making you cry, then he was going to move heaven and earth to steal you away forever…"

He offered to hit me as many times that I needed, if that would help." Ren chuckled and ran a hand through his hair, "So I asked him to hit me again…" again he chuckled. "That was when he admitted that he thought he might have broken his hand the first time… so he told me that I had to admit everything to you. You would decide any additional punishment."

Kyoko looked at the tall, extremely handsome man who was still sitting on his knees, his eyes pleading. Before last week, she might have reacted to his admission in just the way he had expected. During the last week, for the first time, she had opened her heart and mind to the idea of a relationship again. She knew now that she had already been in love for months.

It had taken Ishibashi Hikaru to make her reconsider her feelings about love. It had been him who had made her understand her true feeling for this beautiful man. It had been him who had been there for her and who had worked so hard to pull her out of her deep depression. She should love him, she knew. Perhaps, had it not been for the year spent working closely with her sempai, she might have love Ishibashi Hikaru; but that was all moot now. Her heart had already decided.

Oddly enough, Kyoko was no longer overwhelmed by the idea of what happened on that night. In fact, as she looked at the strikingly handsome man in front of her, her imagination persisted in dwelling on the imagery… and the sensations… she shook her head to clear her mind. _If I walked into his bedroom, then I am as much to blame as him. He could have done anything he wanted, but he didn't. _She remembered his words again, "… I thought that you were finally responding to my feelings…"

Kyoko's heart surged then as she digested those words. She chewed on them and tasted them… _responding to his feelings…_ She remembered that night as she had eaten his gruesome Maui Rice concoction. She remembered her thoughts at the time: _Maybe he isn't so different from me after all._ But then she remembered three weeks of terrible loneliness and the deep burn of rejection…

She knew then that she didn't want to punish Tsuruga Ren for touching her… but she did want to make him pay for treating her so coldly. As she thought of this, she remembered that Ishibashi Hikaru, that kind and wonderful friend, was probably still sitting out in his car. "Ren-san, what happened that night, it doesn't count, does it?" She blushed as she looked at his handsome face and imagined… "What I mean is, that doesn't count as our first kiss… or… the other… right?"

Ren allowed himself to hope. Though he couldn't understand Kyoko's uncharacteristic reactions, at least she hadn't run away swearing to hate him forever. Maybe, just maybe, he still had a chance to win her. He gulped, afraid to answer incorrectly, "I agree. It doesn't count. If you ever respond to my love, I want it to be while you are completely and totally aware of the situation. I want you to want it too, Kyoko… or it won't be real."

He thought he had answered wrong when she jumped up, but she had such a triumphant expression on her face that he wanted to reach out and hug her too him. He was taken aback, therefore, when she walked purposefully toward the apartment door. "Ky… Mogami-san? What…"

He stopped when she wheeled around and held out a hand like a traffic cop, "You stay right there, and I mean _right there._ I have to take care of something downstairs, and then I'll be back. If you leave… if you even move… then I'll never forgive you… Sempai."

* * *

Hikaru had lost himself in the music until his eyes had closed and he had fallen asleep in the warmth of spring. He had half-hoped that Kyoko would be back down quickly, disgusted with her tall "sempai" and ready to form a permanent relationship with him. As the time had stretched on he knew that his hope had been forlorn at best; Kyoko loved Tsuruga Ren, which left no place in her heart for him. He had considered driving away, but each time he reached for the ignition key he stayed his hand… and decided to wait. He slept, of and on, waking often to check his surroundings and questioning his own stubbornness; and then he would lay his head back again and drift off to sleep again.

Kyoko had to tap on his window three times before he finally lifted his head and looked around blearily. His throat ached and his hand was throbbing, but one glimpse of Kyoko was enough to instantly clear the cobwebs. She motioned for him, and he rolled down his window. Kyoko frowned prettily and said, "No, Hikaru-kun, please step out." Unable to understand what she wanted, Hikaru chose to comply. He stood, feeling slightly fuzzy from sleeping in the sun, but extremely aware of the beautiful girl in front of him.

One close look in her honey-golden eyes told him of his loss. There was decision there, but the decision wasn't in his favor. He started to bow his head, but Kyoko reached out and took his good hand. "You are a prince among men, Ishibashi Hikaru. You have done so much for me without expecting anything in return. In the end, you even helped me to reconcile with another man, even though that meant that I could no longer be with you. I should love you… and I think that I would, if my heart wasn't already given away… you deserve better than that… and I'm terribly sorry."

Hikaru nodded sadly, his heart sinking. He started to say something else, but she moved her other hand to his lips. An electric surge pulsed from that contact through his entire body. Then she spoke again, earnestly, "I can't give you my heart, Hikaru-kun, but I do want to give you something…" She blushed, "… if you will accept it?"

At the moment, looking at her beautiful blush and those golden-eyes, Hikaru would have given or accepted anything. Loath to force her fingers away from his mouth, he still managed to say, "What?"

"My first kiss."

Hikaru's eyes grew wide in astonishment. He had supposed that someone as devastatingly cute and pretty as Mogami Kyoko would have been kissed many times, but then, considering how innocent and sweet she was… Kyoko interrupted his thoughts and brought him back to the present with three simple words, "Do you accept?"

Unable to trust his voice, Hikaru nodded jerkily. Then they both stood there, like two adolescents; shy and unsure. Finally, Hikaru stepped forward and Kyoko met him halfway. Their lips met, softly at first, and then deeper. Kyoko was rewarding Hikaru for everything that he had done for her. Hikaru was reveling in the sensation that he had often dreamed of, and that he knew would never be his again. His heart, body, and soul longed to take this further, to claim this delightful creature and make her his own forever… but he knew that it wasn't to be. Of one accord they stepped away from each other. They stood there, nervously feeling what couldn't be spoken.

Then Kyoko squeezed his hand, "I hope that you find someone very special to love you, Ishibashi Hikaru-kun. You deserve the absolute best." She had tears in the corners of her eyes as she said, "And the girl who chooses you will be the luckiest girl in the world. Take care, my dear friend."

She turned and hurried away, back toward the towering apartment building. The feel of her lips still lingered on his. He reached up and touched them, and then climbed back into his car and drove away.

* * *

Tsuruga Ren sat exactly in the same position, ignoring the protesting of his ankles and knees. Not for the world would he allow Kyoko to find him in any other position when she returned… and she would return… he was sure of it… Time stretched and his legs burned in agony, but he didn't move… and after what seemed like an eternity, he heard the door opening.

A flushed Kyoko walked in front of him and stood facing him. He was so tall, and she was so short, that their height almost matched. With a firm set to her mouth, she placed her hands on her hips and spoke, "I forgive you for what happened that night. I went to you, not the other way around. Perhaps that should have told you something. What I'm having difficulty forgiving is what you've done to me for the past three weeks. Even if you didn't love me, I thought that we were close enough that you wouldn't treat me like that. You have no idea how much you hurt me, Ren."

Ren's eyes echoed the agony that he saw in Kyoko's, and he tried to make his mouth work, to form some manner of apology, but Kyoko went on, "So I think that you were punished enough for that night by Hikaru-kun, but I took it upon myself to punish you for the last three weeks. In the last three weeks, the only thing that has kept me sane is the kindness of Hikaru-kun… and so I have just given him my first kiss."

Ren's eyes blazed for a moment as jealousy exploded in his soul, but Kyoko forestalled him with an imperious hand in his face, "Don't you _dare _get mad. It would have been yours if you hadn't done that to me… and it was mine to give away as I chose…"

Then Kyoko stepped forward and laid her arms on either side of his face as she looked deeply into his eyes, "But the rest of my kisses belong to you." She leaned her head forward, tilted, and brushed her lips against his. She pulled back a little to look into his eyes, and then Ren wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. Their kisses grew in passion until they were trying to devour each other. Then Ren groaned in pain and Kyoko stepped back in alarm, "Oh no! Did I hurt you?"

Ren grimaced as he tried to pry his lifeless legs out from under his body. "No," he groaned, "It's my legs. I'm not used to this."

Kyoko looked at him bemusedly, and then her face became mischievous. With wide, innocent eyes she stepped forward until she was close enough to reach out and push the big man over. It backfired on her, however, because one of Ren's flailing arms grabbed her arm and pulled her over on top of him. Growling, Ren wrapped her tightly and held her lithe body against his. The tension released, they started laughing, and they continued to laugh until tears ran down their eyes.

Kyoko's lungs ached, but her pain was purged and now there was only this big, handsome man who she loved. Sighing, she laid her head against his powerful chest. She listened to his heartbeat and breathed in his scent, marveling in how right this felt to her. Ren put one arm under his head so that he could look down on her, while his other arm stroked Kyoko's slender back. They stayed there a long time, basking in their togetherness, until Kyoko felt her body responding to the closeness of this ultimately desirable man. Her face reddened, but her hands took on a mind of their own, moving lightly along his muscular torso.

Finally, when she could take no more, she lifted her head to ask, "Ren… about that night…?"

Ren tensed up, afraid that Kyoko was about to pull away from him and become angry. "Yes?"

"Well," she mumbled into his shirt more than towards his ears, "It's not fair."

Despite her mumbling, Ren heard her. Confused, he asked, "What's not fair?"

Blushing scarlet, Kyoko said, "You know everything that happened… and I can't remember anything… it's not fair."

Kyoko buried her flushed face in his chest again, but there was an odd rumbling from there that caused her to finally lift her head to meet his eyes… which, at that moment, were the eyes of the Emperor of the Night. She felt his powerful arms holding her tight as those eyes devoured her and he said, "You're right. That's not fair at all. I guess that we'll just have to recreate the scene so that you can share in the memory…" And with that he pulled her up along his body for a deep, sensual kiss…

The rest of what took place that evening is a private matter, between two people in love, behind closed doors.

* * *

Kyoko continued to work as Bo, even as her career continued to skyrocket. She was also very responsive whenever Tomori called to say that he was short on princesses. She even managed to drag Moko-san and Chiori along more than once. Ren had learned his lesson. He tried hard to never allow Kyoko to feel lonely or abandoned again. Still, it wasn't until Hikaru started dating Snow White (Nosaki Arisa), that Ren finally relaxed. Ren had great respect for anyone who would take on someone twice his size for the sake of a woman, and Ren acknowledged Hikaru as a formidable opponent.

Oh, and there was that one other matter: In case you were wondering, the story of Fuwa Sho picking a fight with two older men, and subsequently being arrested, was big news for a month or two. When other bystanders reported that he was only defending the honor of a woman, he was let off with a fine. But the story blossomed and once again Sho's popularity increased. It seems that some people always land on their feet… well, most of the time. One night, while he was basking in his own glory in his spacious penthouse apartment, Sho saw Kyoko and Ren sitting together, hand-in-hand on the set of Bridge Rock… he hadn't turned the volume up, but the huge rock on a golden band on Kyoko's left ring finger told him all that he needed to know.

So, as you see, nice guys may not always win… but they don't necessarily finish last either.

* * *

**Notes: **Thank you for reading my short story, and thank you to Fangurl Ayane and Jhiz for issuing the challenge. I greatly appreciate everyone's reviews.

Now, back to _The Shadow's Heart._


End file.
